Stephen Lett, pictured accepting a gift from a child at an international convention
Stephen Lett, pictured accepting a gift from a child at an international convention

A cornerstone teaching of the Jehovah’s Witness faith is the idea that Jesus began ruling over the Earth in 1914, when the “last days” before Armageddon are said to have commenced.

The fact that this key event supposedly happened “invisibly” is often used as an excuse by Witnesses to explain away the lack of any evidence, especially as the passage of time steadily erodes the credibility of the teaching.

But now it seems the evidence has been there along. We just weren’t paying enough attention!

According to Governing Body member Stephen Lett (who last month appeared in the inaugural JW Broadcasting episode), the evidence that Jesus has been ruling in the heavens for the past 100 years is more compelling than the evidence for “gravity, electricity” and “wind!”

The above footage, recently posted on YouTube having been filmed at a recent international convention, will make awkward viewing for thinking Witnesses who desperately want to be able to take their leaders seriously.

In this video, Lett exposes himself yet again as a bumbling simpleton with a tenuous grasp on reality.

The evidence for electricity is in front of his very mouth as he utters his senile words into a microphone that converts his voice into electrical signals that can manifest themselves in speakers all over the auditorium.

The evidence for gravitational force can be found in the fact that his feet are planted firmly on the convention platform rather than spiraling into the air and ascending into the upper atmosphere together with the rest of his body, clothes and gaudy pinky ring.

And the fact that wind is similarly invisible to the human eye in no way brings its existence into any doubt, as any sailor, meteorologist or wind turbine engineer will confirm.

Contrast all of the above with the ridiculous claims made by Watchtower about 1914, and the absurdity of Lett’s words is painfully apparent. One can only hope that as many Witnesses as possible are made familiar with the above video which, though succinct, perfectly showcases the intellectual vacuum at the apex of the Watchtower organization.

 

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95 thoughts on “Stephen Lett: More evidence for 1914 than for “gravity, electricity, wind!”

  • November 5, 2014 at 2:04 am
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    Hello to all.

    Remove 607 BCE as the year of Jerusalem`s destruction and watchtower`s paper house collapses. Historians and archaeologists have proved that the Babylonian`s destroyed Jerusalem in 586/587 BCE. All sentient rational seeker`s of facts accept the historical and archaeological dating. Unfortunately watchtower does not fit the criteria of the sane and sober.

    Best wishes to all.

    Jerry.

  • November 5, 2014 at 2:09 am
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    It’s quite obvious Lloyd. . It’s an overlapping century.

  • November 5, 2014 at 2:09 am
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    Technically, when he said Christ has been ruling for 100 years, he isn’t lying because according to the Bible at Rev. 18:18, Christ has been ruling since he was resurrected so actually he’s been ruling for for way more than 1,000 years. That part he deliberately left out to make it look like he’s been ruling since 1914.

    That kind of reasoning works on the people because most of the people left their brains at the door when they walked in. There is also a vacuum in most of the brains sitting there listening to him. How does the saying go, the blind leads the blind and they both fall into the pit.

  • November 5, 2014 at 2:10 am
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    I meant Mathew 28:18 in my above comment.

  • November 5, 2014 at 2:29 am
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    I really think that Lett is a sandwich short of a picnic. Captives of a concept, they continue to try and convince the many that are weary and doubtful, and when its all in their own mind.

    There belief is that in October 1914 Christ began to rule and the first thing he did was caste the devil out of heaven to earth where no more access to heaven was allowed, now the story goes, the devil knowing he had a short period of time left was so angry that he was behind the start of the 1st world war, and this was the first sign of the beginning of the last days.

    the first WW started in August 1914

  • November 5, 2014 at 2:45 am
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    There is a fair bit of personal insults to Lett in this article, and whilst I don’t disagree with it, it does add weight to the whole “bitter apostate” and “mentally diseased” thing.

    If a JW was on the fence and read this article they might conclude you are bitter and not come back, its not normally like that from you Cedars, the reason why your site can attract JW’s is because you have always been very good at not giving personal insults or appear bitter or “mentally diseased”…

    Just my two cents.

    • November 5, 2014 at 2:52 am
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      I take that criticism on board. Maintaining a balance that will appeal to active JWs when writing can be a challenge, and I don’t always get it right. I reserve the right to comment honestly and tell it like it is rather than hold my reader’s hand through every sentence. I firmly believe that, ultimately, readers will respect you more if you are candid, sincere, and treat them like adults rather than tip-toe around with feigned diplomacy – especially when you have such outrageous material to work with.

    • November 5, 2014 at 3:07 am
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      The words that Cedars used in the article are exactly what any thinking person would have said. If a religious leader from another faith had said those words you would no doubt read those crazy words in the Watchtower, where they quite rightly would show how stupid and desperate some religious leaders can be.
      You can really see why the governing body always kept in the background in the past because of the likelihood of making a gaff.
      However now they regularly seem to be seeking prominence and so put their foot right in it on many occasions.

  • November 5, 2014 at 3:09 am
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    dontknowwheretogo, under different circumstances I’d agree with you, however,

    I personally find it difficult to react differently. It’s a clear insult from Lett’s part AND quite a demonstration of stupidity to do what he did. I hate his eyes when he was saying about the “proof” … He cannot hide whom he’s taking his audience for.

  • November 5, 2014 at 3:25 am
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    Maybe I could understand it if it was put as a hyperbole. That he believes the 1914 to be so certain as if there were more evidance for it than for electricity etc… But he really states it as a fact. “God’s Kingdom is been ruling in the heavens. […] In fact, there is more evidance confirming the existance of the kingdom than the evidance that would convince us that there is gravity, electricity, wind.”

  • November 5, 2014 at 3:40 am
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    Does anybody else notice that Lett does the ‘George Bush eyebrow furl’ when he mentions the sciency bits?

    Just an observation.

    A thinking person should have alarms go off in their mind when he brags about the abundance of evidence, but doesn’t mention a single piece of it. In fairness, it was a short clip and perhaps it was edited out.

  • November 5, 2014 at 3:50 am
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    incredible this man

  • November 5, 2014 at 4:19 am
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    If Jerusalem was destroyed in 587, the Babylonian exile did not last 70 years; as the Bible claimed multiple times. So, it would require the JW to except that the Bible is bogus. Scientists have shown tonns of evidence that contradict the Bible. Still, most Christians except everything the Bible says and “do not believe” the evidence. So, pointing out to JW’s that archeologists believe that Jerusalem was destroyed in 581 is a waste of time. They will just not believe it.

  • November 5, 2014 at 4:28 am
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    A fair reply but I do agree that it is perhaps better to be more circumspect and let JWs come to the same conclusion for themselves. It is still an important point that you make.

  • November 5, 2014 at 4:31 am
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    There is no contradiction with the Bible and archaeology. It often boils down to our interpretation which may be at fault.

    • November 5, 2014 at 4:48 am
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      That’s not entirely true. I recommend you do some research on the archeological evidence to support an entire nation’s 40-year excursion in the Sinai wilderness, and come back to me with your findings.

  • November 5, 2014 at 4:48 am
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    Can you please explain how there is no contradiction between the bible and archaeology? Which examples are you referring to?

  • November 5, 2014 at 4:58 am
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    I agree with you about the honesty but surely your goal, and all of our goals, are to help those trapped in this cult to get out. Over the years I’ve read every one of your articles and enjoy them because you avoid personal insults..you simply state things as they are and when I was in I felt comfortable reading your stuff because it didn’t seem like apostate stuff…but this article strikes me like other sites and if I was still in I would be slightly put off and therefore might not come here again…thus you have lost me and I might stay in the cult.

    I respect your honest and I agree with everything you say about Lett but a lot of it is fluff, you don’t need to attack him personally to get your point across. In attacking him personally just makes you like the JW’s twisted view of an apostate with a banner protesting outside conventions.

    You are better than that…my family are still in and I hope one day they also will feel comfortable reading your articles but they will be put off with articles like this.

    I’m not saying you are wrong, I’m just pleading you stay true to what have you have done the last few years and try and stay as “neutral” as you can but just present the facts.

    I know a lot of JW’s are put off from jwfacts.com because of the way Paul writes sometimes which also appears in this manner.

    • November 5, 2014 at 5:08 am
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      I think at some point it all boils down to this: if a JW is not ready to wake up then NOTHING, no matter how diplomatically penned, will do the trick. If even some of Paul Grundy’s excellent work is too brash for the tastes of certain JWs, then that itself suggests they’re not ready to free themselves mentally. Don’t get me wrong, I DO take your criticism on board and half agree with it. It’s for this reason that I always try to open my articles as objectively as possible and save my brutal honesty for the last few paragraphs. I just find it best to be candid with my readers, and see nothing wrong with leaning a bit on their maturity and intellectual honesty. If nothing else, it’s hopefully a refreshing diversion from the sickly sweet, self-congratulatory, dumbed down propaganda most JWs are used to being subjected to.

  • November 5, 2014 at 5:05 am
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    Nobody is perfect, even our faithful annointed ones

  • November 5, 2014 at 5:18 am
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    Cedars, that may be true but I can only go by my own experience…a pioneer elder who visited your sites and read some discussions over on JWN. I was not ready to wake up because I dismissed a lot of the posts on JWN but reading a lot of your stuff made sense…there was no vitriol with it.

    In the end this was a factor in helping me get ready to wake up so whilst if a dub is not ready to wake up nothing will wake him up is true it’s not a quick process…it is slow.

    Your site and a few others that are reasonable helped me to be ready to wake up.

    I feel you lost that a little in this article…and in fact a few of your other more recent articles have a slant on them too if I’m being honest.

    All I’m saying is if you want to help others be ready to wake up then keep your stance that you have demonstrated in the past.

    I’m not saying your views are wrong, I agree 100% with everything you say but we are all out…we have done that process…the reason why I hold your blog dear is because I see potential to help those still in START the process of waking up.

    Anyway, I appreciate your comments and know you understand my points, you are indeed a reasonable man and I thoroughly enjoy all your articles.

    I’m really looking forward to your book.

  • November 5, 2014 at 5:51 am
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    Folks,

    One of the Dear Leaders thinks that there is more evidence for 1914 than for electricity, Gravity and wind.

    Electricity was discovered and classified long ago. It follows principles of physics, and can be shown to exist through repeatable experiment.

    The laws of gravity were discovered by Isaac Newton back in the 1600s. Again, they are explainable through physics and repeatable experiment.

    Wind is an energy that can be explained through the laws of physics also.

    An invisible presence of Christ has no basis in scientific fact and has no proof at all.

    My goodness, this ridiculous argument is still being used? Other “invisible” things are true, so this is true too – it is patently ludicrous.

    Although we should always speak with graciousness, the simple fact is that this kind of dunderhead reasoning helps trap people in this pernicious cult. It must be exposed.

    There are many different ways to tackle this. Lloyd has chosen to use language that is frank and uncompromising in this instance. I take the point that we must try to use our words to rescue others from the WTBTS and that some will be turned off if our words are too harsh.

    When folks are ready to wake, this site and many others will be there to help them.

    Peace be with you

    Excelsior!

  • November 5, 2014 at 6:07 am
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    Actually out of all the GB members I don’t mind Lett, though he does give the impression he is not all there at times, but to me he is at least some what endearing although mislead himself, I just wonder if they are going through this cognitive dissonance, surely he can’t believe all he says 100% when he knows the real history of the org, and the many misquotes of scholars that the GB have approved of over the years to support their doctrines, anyone that does that must not really believe everything that the say.

  • November 5, 2014 at 6:53 am
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    I am so curious how the Governing Body would explain all the evidence that Christ began ruling in Heaven and kicked Satan down the earth in 1914 if they didn’t speak from a script.

    This is how a young lady answered a question put to her at the Miss Teen U.S.A. contest in 2007.

    Question: Recent polls have shown that a fifth of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do think this is?

    Her answer: I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some ah people out there in our nation don’t have maps and ah, I believe that education, like such as, in South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere, such as, and I believe that should our education over here and the U.S., should help the U.S., or should help South Africa, and should help the Iraq, and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for us.

    I was also dumb when I was in the Org. I was one of those people who could sit in an audience and believe anything that the speaker said because I didn’t bother to engage my head. We were all trained to disengage and sit there and believe it all like it was somehow from God and let our thinking abilities be lazy, just like what the Society was counting on.

  • November 5, 2014 at 6:58 am
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    Of interest, Raymond Fraz didn’t wake up until he did independent study.
    If his experience is a snapshot of the GB that’s what, for all, it’s going to take.
    Being asleep in a nice warm bed is very comfortable.

  • November 5, 2014 at 6:59 am
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    The W,T, refers to me as a mental case, and so I’me
    perfectly happy to return the compliment when it’s
    justified.

    I met a man in field service, who believed the earth was
    flat, and there’s the same amount of proof for that as
    for God’s kingdom arriving in 1914. That man would be
    an ideal candidate for the G,B.

    Incidentally, I think Satan must be a Flat Earther.
    didn’t he take Jesus up to a mountain, to show him all
    the kingdoms of the world. Wouldn’t he need to be in
    orbit to accomplish that?, unless they could see around
    corners.

  • November 5, 2014 at 7:30 am
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    In reality, when it comes to 1914, it should matter not at all whether Jerusalem was destroyed in 587BCE or 607 BCE because the prophecy in Daniel is talking about what would happen to Nebuchadnezzar and nothing else. The “7 times” was referring to the 7 literal years he would go insane. Daniel specifically tells us that and there is nothing to indicate that it meant anything else.

    The Organization painted themselves into a corner decades with this silly doctrine and now that the ‘generation of 1914’ is all but gone, they’re still trying desperately to prop it up like the corpse of a deceased leader.

    Just unbelievably ridiculous.

  • November 5, 2014 at 7:46 am
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    Stephen Lett is a complete moron.

    In a way, I am thankful to him. He frequently gave talks at District Conventions when I was still serving as an elder.

    Lett’s facial expressions and weird mannerisms when he talks are completely ridiculous. He is a clown without any make-up! I couldn’t watch him give talks at the DCs, he is just too embarrassing.

    That fact that he is so obviously of below average intellect made me question the validity of the claim that this is God’s organization. What kind of God would put a mental midget like Lett in control of his “Earthly Organization”?

    So, “Thank you, Stephen Lett for opening my eyes to the fact that God has nothing to do the WTBTS or JWs!”

    Oubliette

  • November 5, 2014 at 8:12 am
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    Is he among “other sheep” or “sheep”? let him know that he belongs to “animal kingdom”, mammals like sheep, cows, … and his thinking and reason in addition to biological similarities prove it…

  • November 5, 2014 at 8:23 am
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    Lett’s low thinking and reasoning capacity proves Jesus has accomplished his mission on Earth; (John 9:39) . . .Jesus then said: “For this judgment I came into this world, that those not seeing might see and those seeing might become blind.”

    He has become blind and the blame is Jesus’…

  • November 5, 2014 at 8:29 am
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    If you always want to be right then this is the perfect organization for you but beware you will most certainly lose your mind in the process.
    What’s wrong with indoctrinated people is their so brainwashed that when a verifiable point is made showing they are wrong they go into semantics and the Ad Hominin tactics to defend their point of view which in reality is all wrong.
    The bible talks about the minds of the unbelievers being BLINDED and this is exactly what the Govering Body does to their members regarding this doctrine and many others.
    To the others who take offense at Cedars words well sorry we hurt your feelings a little but as they say “Sometimes the Truth hurts”
    After all the bashing of and finger pointing of other religions that this society makes it is no surprise that there adherents would counter attack in such a way on false prophecies that they have been indoctrinated with.
    When you always want to be right there is nothing anyone can say or do to convince you otherwise.
    And this basic rule of Psycology is what permeates most active Jehovah’s Witness’s minds through indoctrination of not the Bible but of their leaders manmade Doctrines such as the flawed 1914 one.
    If only active ones would research their religions real history of failed predictions back to the beginning of their founder Charles Taze Russell then perhaps they might see how stupid their leaders have really been.
    If you rely on emotion to make a educated decision then most times it will fail but if you make one based on well rounded unbiased research then you will succeed.

  • November 5, 2014 at 8:40 am
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    At the end of the day it’s up to the individual to decide whether God exists or not.
    Religion it seems has only ever gotten in the way.

  • November 5, 2014 at 8:42 am
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    None of this is in the bible. They are making up their own mathematical prophecies. If it doesn’t come true, then they are falsely prophesying.

    I’ve found that bible reading makes more sense when you can just read a chapter in its entirety and not think about secret double meanings that are a stretch to say the least.

  • November 5, 2014 at 8:46 am
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    Human religions and their errors have nothing to do with God existing. God does not necessarily have to be inclusive or exclusive to any man made religion.

  • November 5, 2014 at 8:56 am
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    Well said Mary. JWs are constantly teaching that prophecies have minor and major fulfillment. I never really bought into that idea, for if that was the case, it would be really hard for one to see its fulfillment as completed. This is the reason the use the writing of Daniel to justify the current teaching.

    To everyone else complaining about this “personal attack on this unnameable character, you need to realize that many here have been personally attacked themselves, or even worst, their families are under constant attack. It is beyond me how some can ignore the reality that many have committed suicide, let themselves or their family members die because of the crap that people like him continuously preach to the members of the congregation. What is more damaging? What is more condemnable? If your family was broken beyond repair, due to the death of a loved one or emotional separation, would you blame someone for telling this guy off? I don’t think so.

  • November 5, 2014 at 9:35 am
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    These self-anointed, self-appointed stand-ins for god on earth end up believing their own hype. They are so isolated and out-of-touch and don’t even know it. Lett and his fellow g.b. members must think that everything that comes out of their mouths is golden and directed by the holy spirit. It would be funny if it were not so dangerous and pitiful.

    I know of many J.W.’s who are very intelligent and yet they will sit through and accept this kind of drivel. Just shows the level of mind control operating in that organization.

    ‘John’, would you consider putting a permanent link to your podcasts here on your blog? Perhaps a link is already up, but I scanned thru twice and could not find one. Thanks.

    • November 6, 2014 at 2:55 am
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      Your wish is my command! A podcast button has been added to the sidebar. :)

  • November 5, 2014 at 11:02 am
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    Raymond Franz said in one of his books that “The greater the distance between illusion and reality, the more destructive the impact will be should the two ever meet.”

    There will be nothing left for JW’s lives should they still keep believing the 1914 garbage.

  • November 5, 2014 at 11:24 am
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    Hey everybody, let’s not forget that although 1914 may have more evidence than gravity, 1925 is even a “surer” date! That’s right, 1925: the year the “ancient worthies” such as Abraham and David were to be resurrected. The “evidence” is from the same source (the Watchtower) so if 1914 is true, then 1925 is “truer”:

    “The year 1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in Scriptures, even more clearly than that of 1914”
    – Watchtower 1924 Jul 15 p.211

    They also used the same sort of language to bolster belief in 1925 (though they used Noah’s flood instead of gravity):

    “Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base his faith then Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge.”
    –Watch Tower 1923 Apr 1 p.106

    Will Witnesses ever learn to adjust their trust based on past performance? Or will Watchtower history just continue to repeat itself as nauseam?

    I was going to type more about this, but I’m floating away from the keyboard now, I guess they were ri

  • November 5, 2014 at 11:33 am
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    What I don’t get about that talk is that in the back of the new grey Bible in Appendix B1 on the right side there’s a picture and it says “ABOUT 1914 C.E.” that Jesus hurls the serpent to the earth”

    Why did they put “about” 1914 in the back of the new Bible if they are so sure of the date????

  • November 5, 2014 at 11:48 am
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    This video is pure jw GOLD. I hope it endures online for a long time, and that all jw’s have a chance to see how absolutely delusional their governing body superstars really are.

    And further… I hope jw parents watch this and realize just how important it is that their children get a good, quality education to counteract the foolishness that they hear from the mouths of their leaders.

    Can you imagine a young jw repeating this line in his Science class, or writing it in an essay about physics?

    Parents, please… if you love your children, please tell them to ignore what these old men say. And for god’s sake send them off to college where they can learn to develop critical thinking skills.

  • November 5, 2014 at 12:46 pm
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    The arguments against the kingdom in 1914 thing are so overwhelming. Anyone with doubts about that should read the two books by Carl Olof Jonsson (gentile times reconsidered, sign of the last days when). In summary, this is why the WT 1914 thing is all wrong.

    1. Fall/destruction of Jerusalem was 587 BCE, not 607 BCE
    2. “Seven times” in Daniel cannot be proven to be years; it could have been months
    3. “Day for year” concept cannot be proven to be applicable to all biblical prophecies
    4. Daniel says the prophecy was “fulfilled” and “all” of it happened to Nebuchadnezzar, so it’s only a theory that there is a greater fulfillment
    5. WT/Bible Students had predicted many, many dates. 1914 was supposed to be the END, at the kingdom and paradise was supposed to have shown up THEN. 1914 “script” was “rewritten” by Rutherford simply to save face.
    6. The Greek “parousia” doesn’t really mean presence, it means the visit of a king or ruler. The concept that Jesus is ruling invisibly is a mere guess or supposition unsupported by the scriptures.
    7. A clear view of history shows that 1914 was not really profoundly worse, in terms of war, famine, disease and earthquakes, than in the past. The 14th century, for example, was a very bad time. At points in history, the human race almost died out, things were so bad. Issues like famine and disease have actually improved since 1914. Finally, earthquakes have NOT increased, but have remained very stable; if anything, the numbers have declined somewhat in the last century. One earthquake specialist even wrote a letter to WT saying that, but he was quoted out of context to make it seem he said the opposite. He is on record as angrily denying what the WT claims he said.

    What does all this mean? The whole point about 1914, the last days, and the so-called authority of the faithful and discrete slave and governing body, is based on a foundation of lies. The WT is not God’s organization, and JWs are not the true religion. They have deceived themselves with false reasoning, just like the Bible warns people against doing.

  • November 5, 2014 at 1:16 pm
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    To be fair to Lett – he may not have been the one that came up with this crap. Loesch (however it’s spelled – the german one) said the same thing, nearly verbatim, at my convention too.

  • November 5, 2014 at 2:31 pm
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    I’m a bit rusty but I don’t believe there is any scripture that definitively states the exile specifically would last for 70 years.

  • November 5, 2014 at 4:00 pm
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    Thank you Cedars, maybe the “evidence” they should be providing is the kind that is court ordered, which they seem to be avoiding lately. I know a lot of active JWS and they hear these talks and when they discuss it amongst friends they are sometimes confused or totally disagree with what’s being done and said. WHY don’t the active JWS speak up for themselves????? Oh that’s right… don’t question the brothers. I am really glad they are making themselves more visible, that way they expose themselves.

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